Child abuse inquiry may lead to 30,000 new cases

Police expect to receive 30,000 new reports of child sexual offences as a result of the public inquiry set up after the Jimmy Savile scandal, a senior officer said last night.

Simon Bailey, chief constable of Norfolk police, who is leading Operation Hydrant, the investigation into allegations of historical sexual abuse, said that the rate of referrals to police from the inquiry being run by Justice Lowell Goddard — now about 100 per month — was likely to increase.

Mr Bailey told The Guardian: “It is fair to say I am surprised by the extent of abuse being exposed, it is shocking.

“In trying to get a message across to the public about the scale of this, it is important to remember that behind each…

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